Ayurvedic Daily Routines

One of the main reasons why I fell in love with Ayurveda was its simplicity and common sense. The Daily Routines also belong to this simple and yet so profound wisdom.

Ayurveda reminds us about something that our ancestors did without thinking, naturally – to follow the rhythms of nature. When the sun goes down, time to go to bed, when the sun rises, time to get up, etc. Seems pretty simple, right? But most of us, with the use of electricity, microwaves, fast food restaurants open 24 hrs a day, TV and the internet, completely lost touch with these natural rhythms.

Within the body there is a natural rhythm that governs our natural urges. Our natural urges are food, sex, and sleep. These are referred to as the three pillars of life. They can also be seen as digestion, creativity, and rest. While we all have unique rhythms based on our constitution, our basic rhythms need to be in harmony with nature for our more subtle unique rhythms to manifest.

Through improper training, we have lost touch with our natural basic rhythms, and as a result, our more subtle unique rhythms. Artificial rhythms created by our society, and our own desires to overindulge in our urges, have led to this loss. The first step toward getting back in touch with these rhythms is to create a routine. Slowly will our subtle unique rhythms emerge.

Ayurveda provides us with a map to our natural basic rhythms. Through these daily routines, we can begin to bring balance to the
doshas (vata, pitta, kapha) and re-create a life of health and happiness.

15 Daily Routines

1. Get up with the sunrise (or as close to the sunrise as possible) to give the body a chance to harmonize with the rhythms of the sun. Sunrise varies according to the seasons, rising earlier in the summer and later in winter, but on average vata people should get up around 6 AM, pitta people around 5:30 AM, and kapha around 4:30 AM.

2. Drink a glass of warm water. This will clean the digestive tract and encourage the regular morning bowel movement.

3. Evacuate the bowels and bladder, if you can (without forcing!)

4. Brush your teeth at least in the morning and before going to bed (after meals is also beneficial if possible).

5. Scrape your tongue daily (only AM), back to front 5-10 times to stimulate the digestive system and aide the removal of toxins (ama).

6. Massage the body with oil that is balanced for your constitution (in general sesame is good for vata, coconut for pitta, and corn for kapha; kaphas don't need much oil and can skip this step). Leave the oil on for at least 20 minutes.

7. Meditate and practice the constitutionally correct
Yoga Poses
If possible, practice meditation and yoga for a half an hour each in the morning before eating breakfast.

8. Shower or bathe.

9. Eat your breakfast (never skip breakfast; even the name suggests that it's the 'the break of the fast' and therefore very important).

10. Take a short (½ hr) walk after breakfast, if possible. Walking after meals stimulates digestion.

11. Eat your lunch, which should be the biggest meal of the day, between 12-1PM. Take a short walk afterward (can be only about 1,000 steps).

12. Eat dinner before the sun goes down, which is later in the summer and earlier in winter. In general by 7PM is a good habit. Another short walk after your meal is beneficial (1,000 steps or more).

13. Floss once per day (best at night) to prevent gum disease. Ayurvedic gum powders can be massaged into the gums as well.

14. Go to bed between 9:30-10:30 PM to insure adequate rest. Do not eat, read or watch TV in bed.

15. Once a week, clean out your nasal passages with slightly salted water using a cup or a neti pot (should be as salty as your tears; general guideline is ½ tsp salt per ½ cup water). Then place a drop of oil (can be the same as your body oil) in each nostril with the tip of the little finger. This maximizes the absorption of Prana, the life force.

You can vary from the above order to accommodate your preferences. For instance, it's often more practical to perform an oil massage in the evening.

Also, don't feel overwhelmed. The most important first step is to start a daily routine if you don't already have one. The next step would be to have regular meals (about the same time every day). The next would be to go to bed around 10PM. So if you read the list and it seems like way too much, take a deep breath and incorporate one thing at a time. Remember that even a small step in the right direction is a step in the right direction.

May these Daily Routines help your day to be happy, peaceful, and productive.

"I only use top of the line products and I have never seen a product like this. It absorbs easily into the skin and allows me to touch the skin more closely than when I work with other products." -Shelly, Esthetician, New Mexico, June 2008

"After only two weeks of daily use, my skin is glowing again and my rosacea is 80% gone. Thank you, Barbora!" -Rachel Humphrey, California, August 2009

"I got your 100x washed ghee from my son Patrick. I was really impressed with the results. I haven’t had anything this fantastic on my face before! I have a daughter who also suffers from eczema and I cannot wait for her to also try it. Really amazing product."- Regina Stajerova, Czech Republic, July 2010

"I use the 100x washed ghee as a moisturizer and on tiny eczema patches I get once in a while. I also give it to my mother who uses it on her psoriasis. She calls it 'liquid gold.'" -Mary, Massachusetts, December 2011

"Barbora. I've received the second shipment of the 100x washed ghee. It's great, thank you. I am recommending it to several people with skin problems. I have an appointment with my dermatologist this week. I have waited for four months for the appointment. Same facial rash and itch for more that 5 years..many rx, costly meds that have not helped. With less than two weeks of twice a day of the 100x washed ghee, my skin is soft and the long suffering rash is gone!! Amazing!! I will be back and order more for sure. Thank you so much for sending the second container... I would not have realized just how great this stuff is. Thanks" -Lauren, Virginia, August 2012

"I bought a small jar of the 100x washed ghee at the workshop in Prague and I am completely crazy about it. I cannot imagine my evening (and sometimes even morning) without it. It's incredibly soothing. I have a beautiful skin now and I am not the only one who have noticed it:-). I had a friend visiting the other day and she wanted to take it away from me! So, now I need to buy one jar also for her."
-Katka Tizkova, Czech Republic, September 2012

"I have ordered the larger jar, because I have already used up the small one I purchased. It did wonders for my skin and my rosacea. You have a wonderful product, you can be very proud of. Thank you, Barbora!"
-Deborah Birnbaum, Texas, January 2013

"I just started using your product and I love it! It's decreased my fine lines and lightened my dark spots from sun damage. I've tried many products for my sun damage and nothing works like your ghee. I could literally tell the difference the first week of using it."
-Susan, California, February 2014

"Just wanted to say that after four years of having severe painful rosacea your washed ghee has returned my fragile skin close to its previous state before the rosacea in only a few days. I am so grateful. Thank you."-Evangeline Feary, Australia, August 2014

"Hi Barbora, let me start by telling you I truly appreciate you sharing this beautiful product 100x washed ghee. My dosha is vata and I have extremely sensitive and dry skin. 100x washed ghee is the best product I have ever used. I love the cool feeling I experience when applying it to my face and throat. It is so soothing, moisturizing, my skin is more even toned with a youthful appearance, even taking away the fine line and wrinkles from my 59 year old face. I hope to never be without this miracle product. I use it every night as nighttime treatment and wake up with younger looking soft baby skin. Again, thank-you! 100x washed ghee is a true blessing."-Diana Scott, Texas, United States, November 2014

"Thank you for your product. I like using the 100x washed ghee, because my skin gets healed from within and it provides calmness to it. It has also put luster to my skin and has improved its evenness. I have been using it for almost 10 months now and will continue to do so." - Rahul, Texas, United States, November 2015

"I was having a lot of issues with my skin over the past year with many dry patches no matter what product I tried. I came across your website and decided to try the 100x washed ghee since I have used ghee in food for years. I love it! It almost immediately cleared up my dry patches and is not greasy. Thank you for making this wonderful product."-Ashika, New Jersey, United States, 2017